Why Jewish Federations?Jewish Federations are the leading institutions in the Jewish world today. They financially support local Jewish life, Israel, and Jewish communities around the world. But they are much more than philanthropic bodies. They serve as the voice of Diaspora Jewish communities locally, in Israel, and beyond.It is with the help of Jewish Federations that over one million Jews from the Former Soviet Union were resettled in Israel and throughout the Jewish world. With the help of Jewish Federations, together we can make sure that the 38,000 Eritrean and Sudanese asylum seekers in Israel find safety and dignity.

What Can Jewish Federations Do?Jewish Federations can:

Publicly or privately express to Israeli leadership their concern over the deportation and their readiness to help with alternatives.

Publicly pledge their readiness to use their resources to help Israel address the refugee situation in more humane ways, for example, by resettling refugees outside of south Tel Aviv or outside of Israel.

Work with other Federations, the JFNA (Jewish Federations of North America), and the Jewish Agency to do the same.

(Feel free to edit or create your own. For more resources and talking points click here.)

Dear _________,

I am writing to you as a Jew, [as a federation supporter,] and as a friend of Israel. I am deeply concerned by Israel’s deportation of thousands of Sudanese and Eritrean asylum seekers. I am concerned about the danger to the lives of the asylum seekers, as well as to the integrity and reputation of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state. I know that HIAS, ADL, JCPA, JAFI, UNHCR and others have already expressed their concern as well as their readiness to work with Israel to pursue alternative and more humane solutions.

I would therefore like to ask you - what is Federation doing or what does Federation plan to do to help protect the lives of these asylum seekers and the dignity of Israel? Perhaps Federation could offer to send resources to Israel to help with refugee settlement - as we have helped with absorption of Jewish immigrants - or offer to help resettle some asylum seekers from Israel here in our community? Perhaps Federation could fund organizations working to help asylum seekers in Israel? Perhaps Federation could engage with Israeli leadership and other Jewish and political leadership in this country to express our concern and desire for alternatives?

Especially as we near the Passover holiday, when we will remind ourselves that we must protect the stranger because we were strangers in the land of Egypt, I hope that Federation will not remain silent on this urgent issue that should matter to all of us as Jews.